Original Word: ἱμάς, άντος, ὁPart of Speech: Noun, MasculineTransliteration: himasPhonetic Spelling: (hee-mas')Definition: a thong, strapUsage: a thong, strap, (a) for binding a man who is to be flogged, (b) for fastening a sandal or shoe.

ἱμάς, ἱμαντος, ὁ (from ἵημι to send; namely, a vessel, which was tied to thongs of leather and let down into a well for the purpose of drawing water; hence, ἱμάω also, to draw something made fast to a thong or rope (recent etymol. connect it with Skt. si to bind; cf. Curtius, § 602; Vanicek, p. 1041)); from Homer down; a thong of leather, a strap; in the N. T. of the thongs with which captives or criminals were either bound or beaten (see προτείνω), Acts 22:25 (4 Macc. 9:11; Sir. 30:35); of the thongs or ties by which sandals were fastened to the feet, Mark 1:7; Luke 3:16; John 1:27 (so also in Isaiah 5:27; Xenophon, anab. 4, 5, 14; Plutarch, symp. 4, 2, 3; Suidasἱμάς. σφαιρωτήρσανδαλιου, ζανιχιον, οἷοντόλωριοντοῦὑποδήματος).

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance

a thong, strap

Perhaps from the same as hama; a strap, i.e. (specially) the tie (of a sandal) or the lash (of a scourge) -- latchet, thong.